The Bolton Thread

[flange]

The plans for the relocation and co location of Bolton Community College and Bolton Sixth Form College onto a new single campus on Deane Road opposite University of Bolton are now online.

http://www.planning.bolton.gov.uk/DC...ystemkey=73335

[andysimo123]

Could you draw on a map were that is or explain it me? Am struggling to think where that would be built. Is near the Student Union or more towards Mcdonalds etc?

[flange]

It is on the car park behind the University where the new Community College and Sixth Form College will be built, thankfully a new 850 space multi storey car park will be built aswell

[andysimo123]

Cheers I don't really know the road names. I just know the location of buildings but I understand where it is now. Its quite abig build that. Comparing it to the Uni across the road, it seems to compare in size and that isn't small. As long them lot don't try and get in our Union it should be ok. That car park has been needed for a long time. Its almost impossible to find a space in the Uni car parks, maybe Bolton Uni should build one of their own as well.

[flange]

Ya well the Student Union is moving next year remeber and the colleges will probably take about a year or so to build so we still have a far bit of time before they find out where are SU is.
I would image the new multi storey car park will probalby be shared with both the colleges and the university as with both the University campuses (Chadwick and Deane) merging to create a new single campus at Deane then the multi storey is going to be needed even more for the uni students.

[andysimo123]

Originally Posted by flange

Ya well the Student Union is moving next year remeber and the colleges will probably take about a year or so to build so we still have a far bit of time before they find out where are SU is.
I would image the new multi storey car park will probalby be shared with both the colleges and the university as with both the University campuses (Chadwick and Deane) merging to create a new single campus at Deane then the multi storey is going to be needed even more for the uni students.

Ye, they have already started on it but it seems in a strange place. Hopefully it will be a secret SU.

Well with the two merging it might not be enough. How many people are at the Chadwich campus atm? We're going to have the current Uni, the new college and the Chadwich campus trying to get into an 850 space car park. I think the whole Uni has 9,000 students + staff and that's likely to go up anyway and with the College its going to be madness.

[flange]

I dont know how many there are at Chadwick but it is a big campus and holds quite alot of people.

Here are some renders of the new Social Learning Zone and the new Student Union at the University.


The Social Learning Zone looking towards the new Library entrance. The Library entrance area will be screened off from the Social Learning Zone to minimise noise intrusion.


A view towards the Student Union. The bar will be up on the mezzanine level.


An elevated view of the Social Learning Zone.


Front elevation of the former Textile Hall.

[flange]

The University of Bolton Ras al Khaimah Campus

Friday 18 April 2008

"The University of Bolton is establishing a branch campus in Ras al Khaimah, UAE with 14 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes starting in September 2008"

For more information go to;

http://www.bolton.ac.uk/UAECampus/

http://www.bolton.ac.uk/News/News-Ar...Apr2008-4.aspx

[andysimo123]

Where are the pool tables? All I care about is pool, tv, food and bar.

[flange]

NCP on verge of Bolton car park deal

Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council has named NCP as its preferred partner to build at least three new multi-storey car parks in the town centre.

A 35-year contract, expected to be finalised later this year, would make NCP responsible for the design, build, financing and operation of the car parks, which are part of a major regeneration project.

The company will also run and maintain surface level car parks in the town centre, manage on-street pay and display machines and manage the operation of CCTV on all council-run town centre car parks.

Subject to planning, the Bath Street and Deane Road car parks, with 800 spaces each, are expected to be completed by late 2009 and the 600-space Breightmet Street in 2010

Mark Peasnall, NCP's business development director, said: “We are very excited to have been given this opportunity to work with Bolton Council to achieve these plans and look forward to making a significant and direct contribution to the on-going success of the town centre’s regeneration projects.”

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness....-car-park-deal

[flange]

Primark development put on hold

6:14pm Friday 11th April 2008

By Cherry Thomas

BOLTON's Primark store could double in size under proposals lodged with Bolton Council.

Company chiefs want to expand into the redundant toy and furniture stores on the Deansgate side of the Crompton Place shopping centre.

But the scheme was put on hold yesterday by Bolton Council's planning committee because the plans also include a proposal to close off the Bradshawgate entrance to the shopping centre.

Cllr Nick Peel said: "The centre is a very well used link between Bradshawgate and Victoria Square and the entrance is necessary."

Cllr David Wilkinson added: "This is one of the stupidest ideas I have heard in a while. We have got to get them to think again."

Primark bosses want to extend the store to cover 36,000 square feet.

The plan is to expand into the adjacent former Toyworld and the units opposite, from the former Walmsleys Furniture store up to, but not including, Sports World.

The Bradshawgate entrance to Crompton Place would be closed as part of the development, leaving the only entrances in Exchange Street and Hotel Street.

Although Primark does not need planning permission to expand within the centre, it does need council approval to change the shop fronts in Bradshawgate, which form an integral part of the proposals. The planning committee voted unanimously to defer a decision amid concerns about shutting the entrance.

Members want to try andto persuade Primark to keep the entrance open.

Cllr Norman Critchley said: "Bradshawgate is dead and shutting off this entrance is going to put the nail in the coffin."

Geoff Lancaster, head of external affairs at Primark, said yesterday: "We have noted the council's request and will be responding in due course.

"It is one of our older stores. This is a great opportunity to go in, revamp it and produce a store to our current standards."

The proposals have been welcomed by Malcolm Angus, centre manager of Crompton Place.

He said: "It's fantastic news for us that Primark want to expand.

"We are hoping this will be the catalyst for further investment in the shopping centre.

"We hope it will kick-start the empty units being taken on by a more varied supply of tenants, giving us other exciting retailers."

Primark believes the revamped and expanded store would be an asset to Bolton.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/searc...ut_on_hold.php

Bigger Primark will benefit town centre

10:50am Saturday 19th April 2008

By Readers' Letter

FOLLOWING recent reports regarding the expansion plans of Primark at Crompton Place, as owners of the shopping centre I'd like to confirm to your readers that we offer a varied retail offering to shoppers within the town centre.

Feedback from our customers reflects that Primark is extremely popular and that a larger store would be welcomed in Bolton, providing the opportunity for a more attractive scheme and an enhanced fashion choice for shoppers.

Primark's decision to remain in Bolton and more than double its size is positive for the town, as not only is it likely to encourage other modern retailers to the scheme, but will also increase employment by 91 per cent and balance and enhance the retail offering in the town centre.

Looking at other examples of where new Primark stores have opened or expanded, there is a dramatic increase in footfall. For example, in Bradford the new Primark that opened in the Kirkgate Shopping Centre saw footfall increase by 12 per cent within the centre, and the new Primark in Halifax saw footfall increase by 16 per cent. This is encouraging and is something that will be beneficial to Bolton and the scheme.

If the entrance was kept in place, sales space would be limited, restricting the provision of the full fashion range that is available in Manchester and other nearby towns.

Our research also suggests that the Bradshawgate entrance is used very little by our shoppers. In fact, out of the four entrances, it accounts for less than 10 per cent of the overall footfall. It is considered that the closure will actually encourage people further along Bradshawgate, thereby increasing footfall in this area of the town centre and encouraging the movement of people along Nelson Street and Mawdsley Street to regenerate this area.

We believe that this decision is mutually beneficial for both Primark and shoppers in Bolton and can only enhance the town centre. We are looking forward to presenting our plans further and hope the proposals will be welcomed.

Hermes Real Estate London

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/searc...own_centre.php

Primark threatening to pull out of Bolton

6:28pm Saturday 19th April 2008

By Jane Lavender

FASHION giant Primark has threatened to pull out of Bolton town centre if its plans to expand are blocked by councillors.

The cut-price clothes chain wants to double the size of its store in the Crompton Place Shopping Centre.

But as part of the proposals, it also wants to close the Bradshawgate entrance to the shopping centre and build across it.

That has raised concern among councillors, who have put a decision on whether to approve the plans on hold.

They feel the loss of the entrance would lead to fewer shoppers using Crompton Place and make it more difficult to catch buses from Bradshawgate.

Cllr Nick Peel told a meeting of Bolton Council's Planning Committee: "Primark is an integral part of Bolton town centre. They have been here a long time and are like an old friend. Any expansion of Primark would have a huge positive impact on Crompton Place but Bradshawgate is the only part of the shopping centre that has direct access to many buses.

"It will put a lot of shoppers off if they have to walk a quarter of a mile from the store to a bus stop and effectively puts Primark at the end of a cul-de-sac."

Primark proposes to take over the former Toy World shop and the units opposite, from the former Walmsley's Furniture store up to, but not including, Sports World.

The store does not need planning permission to expand within the centre, but it does need council approval to change the exterior shop fronts.

Company chiefs say they have carefully considered the proposals to close the Bradshawgate entrance and maintain they are not prepared to budge. They claim keeping an entrance in Bradshawgate would take up too much space.

Gavin Ingram, who represented Primark at the planning meeting, said: "The decision to close the access point hasn't been taken lightly. Without this it's unlikely we would expand the store and would probably close and move elsewhere, possibly out of town.

"We are committed to Bolton but there is limited confidence left in the shopping centre. Retailers are waiting to hear good news about Primark. There would be dire consequences, in our opinion, for Crompton Place and retail as a whole in Bolton, if this scheme does not go ahead."

The council's planning committee has once again deferred the decision at a meeting on Thursday because of concerns about the loss of the entrance and to give the retail chain the chance to come up with a compromise.

Cllr Linda Thomas said: "My only fear is that the store will leave the town, and that is a fear not just for the people who work there but also for the people who need to shop there because it's a shop that's affordable."

But not all planning committee members were as forgiving of the apparent ultimatum.

Cllr Laurence Williamson said: "I'm not prepared to be subject to bullying tactics and blackmail. We're being threatened and being told this will be the end of shopping as we know it."

Cllr Margaret Rothwell said: "I saw 47 people going through the doors in Bradshawgate in just five minutes on Wednesday morning and people were certainly using those doors. I see that as a very important entrance so I'm not going to support this planning application."

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/searc..._of_bolton.php

Compromise from Primark is needed

9:53am Thursday 24th April 2008

By Readers' Letter

HERMES Real Estate, London, on behalf of Primark, spells out the reasons for the firm's proposed expansion in Bolton. Few would dispute that Primark needs Bolton - and that Bolton needs Primark. But not at any cost!

I attended the relevant planning meeting, and agreed with the consensus of opinion that while the general idea was good, closing the Bradshawgate entrance/exit definitely was not, and the application was therefore deferred.

Bolton shoppers see this requirement as a retrograde step, and they surely have a strong voice in the future of our town's development, to which any applicant should listen.

If Hermes insist on intransigence then a compromise is available - expand with a clear Bradshawgate to main Crompton Place "right of passage" for the general public.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/searc..._is_needed.php

[flange]

TK Maxx is leaving Bolton town centre

4:24pm Sunday 27th April 2008

By Jenny Minard

HIGH street store TK Maxx is leaving Bolton and heading for a retail park on the outskirts of the town.

The cut-price department store is currently based in Crompton Place Shopping Centre.

But while rival Primark is looking to expand within the same centre, TK Maxx bosses have decided to move to Trinity Retail Park.

The new store will increase the floor space available by nearly 10,000 sq ft and create 20 new jobs.

A spokesman for TK Maxx said: "We have a lot of TK Maxx fans and we wanted them to have a better store to shop in.

"We wanted to move to a more prime location where we will be able to stock a bigger range."

"We really wanted to invest in the area as we see Bolton as a town that's moving on. We are going to have the best brands stocked in the Bolton store to give customers more of what they want. It will be light, airy and modern looking. A better place to shop."

TK Maxx opened at what was then The Gates shopping centre in 2002, occupying 18,000 sq ft and being one of 25 to open in the UK that year.

The store was widely welcomed at a time when several of Bolton town centre's retail units lay empty following the loss of established businesses, among them department store Whiteheads which was turned into a pub and the Virgin Megastore in the Market Place.

But two years ago, TK Maxx's bosses began to express interest in moving out of town, first of all eyeing the last vacant unit at the Burnden Retail Park in Manchester Road, Bolton, before earmarking the new Trinity Retail Park, which is already home to Sainsbury's, Boots and Next.

The new store, which will relocate in July, will continue to house a range of women's, men's and children's wear, as well as homeware over 27,000 sq ft, split between two floors.

The spokesman for TK Maxx added: "We have a very loyal customer base. People will travel to see us, so the location by the train station is quite key to us."

The move comes during controversy surrounding fashion giant Primark's threats to pull out of Bolton town centre if its plans to expand are blocked by councillors.

The manager of Crompton Place, Malcolm Angus, was unavailable for comment.

TK Maxx which has over 200 stores around the country including shops in Bury, Manchester, Wigan and Sheffield came to the UK in 1994.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/searc...own_centre.php

TK Maxx shop move 'good for Bolton'

3:12pm Tuesday 29th April 2008

By Julian Thorpe

THE decision of a popular chain store to leave Crompton Place is good news for Bolton, says council leader Cliff Morris.

TK Maxx has announced it will leave its first floor site in the shopping centre in favour of a bigger site on the edge of the town centre.

The cut-price chain said its new shop, near Sainsbury's in Trinity Street, would be "a more prime location" and allow it to stock a greater range of goods.

Cllr Morris, who chairs the Town Centre Leadership Board, said the move was not a snub for the town centre and that the relocated store would create more jobs.

"I would say that the retail park is still within the town centre," he said. "I'm pleased that they are staying in the town and creating more jobs.

"I'm hoping we can attract someone else to Crompton Place. If the shop is not big enough for them, I'm glad they want to expand in Bolton."

The new site will give TK Maxx an extra 10,000 square feet of floor space and 20 more jobs will be created.

Cllr Akhtar Zaman, the council's executive member for regeneration, said: "Bolton town centre is expanding.

"If TK Maxx is moving to Trinity Street, where there are car parking facilities, that area is flourishing. I think it will be good for the consumer. People will want to go there."

Cllr Zaman said he did not know whether any businesses were lined up to move into TK Maxx's present home in Crompton Place.

Crompton Place manager Malcolm Angus was unavailable for comment.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/searc...for_bolton.php

Crompton Place could struggle to replace TK Maxx

5:12pm Wednesday 30th April 2008

By Julian Thorpe

A SHOPPING centre could struggle to find a replacement for clothes store TK Maxx, its manager has admitted.

The cut-price retailer has announced plans to move out of Crompton Place to a larger unit in Bolton Shopping Park in July.

And the centre's manager Malcolm Angus predicted it would be difficult to find a new tenant for such a large unit.

He said: "I think if you look across the country, retail is struggling in general. If and when TK Maxx moves out, I'm guessing it would be very hard to re-let.

"I could be wrong. It could be empty tomorrow and full the next day, who knows?"

Bolton Council leader Cllr Cliff Morris has welcomed the retailer's decision to move to the new site near Sainsbury's on the outskirts of the town centre, saying it indicates how Bolton town centre is growing and will create more jobs.

However, Sports Soccer and The Original Shoe Co (corr) are to leave Crompton Place.

And Popular budget fashion chain Primark has also threatened to move out if the council insists it retains an entrance to the centre from Bradshawgate as part of its expansion proposals.

Mr Angus said the Sports Soccer and The Original Shoe Co's smaller units would be easier to re-let.

But he said there are only a select few large retail chains who could fill such the void left by TK Maxx and that he did not know if any shops were lined up as replacements.

Mr Angus also cited the nearby Market Hall re-development as a factor affecting the viability of letting space in Crompton Place.

He added that the retailer has seven to eight years left on its lease but he did not know how this issue would be resolved.

A TK Maxx spokesman did not comment on the store's lease at Crompton Place yesterday.

Sports Soccer and The Original Shoe Co were unavailable for comment.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/searc...ce_tk_maxx.php

[flange]

Bolton: Ones to watch

Bolton is hoping that new education facilities in the town centre will produce skilled and qualified workforces needed to respond to the economic demands of employers in the area. “By increasing our education facilities, we can give the people of Bolton more opportunities to take advantage of the growing prosperity we are working to create through the regeneration of the town centre,” said council leader Cliff Morris.

Bolton Community College and Bolton Sixth Form College have secured an approval in principle for £80m of funding for their respective new developments in the £300m Bolton Innovation Zone. The two colleges will share a single site in the new scheme — one of the largest planned investments in further education in the North West — on the redeveloped Deane Road site, situated opposite Bolton University, which now has 9,000 students and a 50 per cent rise in applications in 2007.

The university is also expanding further afield — establishing a branch campus in Ras al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, 45 minutes north of Dubai, with 14 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes starting in September.

The Knowledge Hub will bring together vocational and academic routes, hoping to give learners a natural step into higher education and in 2011, a £250m investment programme will see every secondary school and half of the primary schools in Bolton rebuilt, remodelled or upgraded.

Charles Topham's Merchant's Place development on River Street marks a rise in quality of the town's office stock.

The Grade A development will be pitched at around £18 per sq ft, against central Manchester's £28 per sq ft average.

Manchester-based property giant Bruntwood recently acquired its first office building in Bolton. Atria, on Spa Road, will be the subject of a £4.5m upgrade. In housing, £26m is being spent over two years on maintaining the 18,094 dwellings that are part of the council's Decent Homes programme.

Loft-style living has been slow to come to Bolton, but there are a handful of popular conversions and new apartment schemes, such as the Cottonfields mill development in Eagley, and Cottonworks near the town centre.

Between 2002 and 2007, house prices in Bolton increased by 131 per cent.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness....-ones-to-watch

[flange]

Bolton: Regeneration aids the city in waiting State of play

For 2008, Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council's development and regeneration department has a revenue budget of £9.7m and a capital budget of £12m.

Projects such as the Bolton Innovation Zone, Church Wharf, Merchant's Quarter and Central Street developments are spearheading the renewal of the town centre and creating a sense of renaissance. As council leader Cliff Morris puts it: “Bolton is truly a city in waiting.”

The Bolton Innovation Zone, a 67 hectare mixed-use, leisure and knowledge led development that offers 30 hectares of prime commercial development opportunities in the town centre, will look to create more than 4,000 jobs and attract £500m of investment to the town over the next 10 years.

The zone is anchored by the growth of the town's university; the region's largest ever investment in new college facilities; a new transport interchange; plus new health, sports and cultural facilities.

It is Bolton's answer to developments across the rest of the region, such as the Oxford Road Corridor scheme in Manchester and Media City on Salford Quays.

Council leader Morris describes Bolton's key development opportunities as “bringing forward commercial and retail opportunities of regional importance”. He said the strategy was “designed to create a business environment that will attract and retain high value, knowledge-based industries”.

Retail focus

Retail is high on Bolton's agenda, especially the need to draw more footfall into the town centre.

The Market Place development opened recently after a £90m refurbishment from the Agora Shopping Centres Fund.

The council is also in talks with Wilson Bowden for a £110m refurbishment of Central Street, in the St Helena area of the town, which will comprise over 200,000 sq ft of retail space anchored by a Tesco store.

The retail core has felt the impact of Middlebrook, the Orbit development which, unlike the town centre, only has one retail unit empty. The development comprises over 634,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space — including brands such as Marks & Spencer, Boots, Next, DFS, Comet, O2, Starbucks, McDonalds, HMV, Argos, JJB Sports and ASDA — plus a business park and residential development.

Middlebrook, home to the Reebok Stadium and the Bolton Arena, sits adjacent to junction six of the M61 and has its own railway station (Horwich Parkway) with services to Manchester city centre and Manchester Airport.

The Bolton Innovation Zone, however, is a sign that investors are now being asked to focus on the town centre rather than out of town.

Bolton is ramping up its hospitality offering, with several hotels being nominated for or winning awards at the Manchester Tourism Awards in April.

Smithills Hall in Bolton collected the small visitor attraction of year award whilst De Vere Whites and the Holiday Inn Bolton Centre each received a nomination for large hotel of the year.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness....-state-of-play

[andysimo123]

Abit on Boltons Uni....

June 19, 2008
Profile: University of Bolton

The largest town in England finally got a university in 2005, after eight years of trying.

From 2008, it will have a single site in the town centre with additional and enhanced teaching space, facilities to interact with industry and a new students’ union.

University status had an instant impact: Bolton recorded the biggest increases in applications in the UK for two successive years.

Although there had been a big fall at the start of 2008, the demand for places was still well above preuniversity days. The university traces its roots back as far as 1824 to one of the country’s first three mechanics institutes.

Ambitious

There are already more than 8,000 students and there are no plans for dramatic growth, despite the new-found popularity. The university sees itself as a regional institution, with three quarters of the students coming from the North West, many through partner colleges.

But there is also an international dimension, with long-established links in Malaysia and a regular contingent of overseas students from 70 different countries.

Bolton has set itself the ambitious target of climbing into the top half of the university system within 15 years. Judged on our criteria, it has some way to go, but it is not unusual for brand-new universities to make their debut near the foot of the table.

Even in its days as an institute of higher education, it was competitive in categories such as spending per student on the library and other facilities, but it is dragged down by other indicators.

Satisfaction

Student satisfaction is not one of these: the university almost made the top ten in rankings of the first National Student Satisfaction Survey and, although ratings slipped a little in 2007, Bolton remains in the top half of that table.

Teaching assessments were variable, but education, nursing and psychology all achieved maximum points and the last seven assessments all produced more than 20 points out of 24.

The university is not research-driven, so not surprisingly, research grades were less impressive, but metallurgy and materials reached grade 4 in the last assessments. A centre for research and innovation in materials which opened in 2003 is to be the first of a series of “knowledge exchange zones”. Bolton is not one of the new breed of “teaching-only” universities; it has been accredited for research degrees for more than ten years and acquired its new status under the old rules.

About 1,700 of the students are postgraduates, taking qualifications up to and including PhDs. The £11.3-million building programme at the Deane campus has included a design studio and three floors of teaching and learning space where students work on live briefs for companies seeking design solutions; an Innovation Factory housing, among others, special effects laboratories, a product design studio and a student services centre with floor space the size of a football pitch.

A swimming pool and sports complex will be next, if plans for a joint development with the local authority are approved. The 700 reasonably priced residential places go a long way in an institution with a high proportion of home-based students. More than half of the students are over 20 at entry.

Access

The university exceeds all the access measures designed to widen participation in higher education: nearly all the students are state-educated, four in ten are from working-class homes and the proportion from areas without a tradition of higher education is almost twice the national average for Bolton’s subjects and entry qualifications.

The downside – and it’s an important one – is that almost a third of the students are projected to leave without a qualification: by far the highest proportion in England. The university has an action plan to bring the rate down to the national average for its courses and qualifications by 2012.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/lif...cle2166305.ece

[flange]

Sneak look at the new Market Place

8:12pm Wednesday 23rd July 2008

By Nick Yates



The refurbished hall

IT has been kept out of the public’s view for more than a year.

But a small group of shoppers finally got a sneak peek behind the scenes at the Market Place Shopping Centre this week to see how work is progressing.

A select group of Boltonians took up an invitation from developers Warner Estate to have a tour round the old Market Hall.

The hall is being renovated and restored by a team of 90 workmen and will reopen in late September.

The boards and scaffolding have been in place since April, 2007, when work began.

Now most of the refurbishment has been completed and shopfitters have started to get their spaces ready for customers.

Many high street names have flocked to the centre to join existing firms and more than 200 jobs will be created.

New shops include Jane Norman, Claire’s, Moss Bros, Zumo, Starbucks, The Carphone Warehouse, Principles, Warehouse, Lush, H&M and Office.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/..._Market_Place/

[flange]

Blaze causes traffic chaos

Don Frame

24/ 7/2008

A HUGE blaze left Bolton town centre a virtual no-go zone today.

More than 60 firefighters were called to tackle the blaze at 2.50am at the two-storey Copyplan Buildings on Bridgeman Place off Bradshawgate - the main thoroughfare through the town centre.

The building, 30 metres wide by 100 metres long, was gutted.

The blaze began on the ground floor and rapidly spread to engulf the entire building. The first floor and the roof collapsed.

Copyplan - a stationery supplier, a martial arts academy and a beauty salon fronting Bradshawgate, were housed within the premises and destroyed, the fire service said.

No-one was hurt in the incident.

Manchester Group Commander Graham Brennan, of Greater Manchester County Fire Service, said today: "The building now is a smoking shell. We will be here for most of the day and into the evening."

The blaze has led to traffic chaos for motorists heading both into and out from the town centre.

Manchester Road Bolton-bound was closed from Orlando Bridge. Trinity Street from the junction of Thynne Street was closed and Bradshawgate was shut from Great Moor Street in both directions. Bridgeman Place itself was also closed.

Group Commander Brennan added: "Vehicle access to Bolton train station is being affected and journeys are being disrupted but the station is open."

An investigation is underway to establish the cause of the blaze by both police and firefighters.

Dangerous

The building itself was said to be too dangerous to enter but it is understood that windows on the ground floor, where the blaze began, were reported to have been smashed before the fire broke out. However, the fire service say it is too early to say whether arson is suspected

Group Commander Brennan said: "That is one of the angles we are looking at."

At the height of the blaze, firefighters doused the flames from three aerial platforms. Just one remained in place today.

Group Commander Brennan said smoke could be seen for miles and huge plumes were continuing to drift across the town centre today.

The blaze did not spread to neighbouring buildings although the basement of a Williams BMW showroom next door suffered water damage.

He said: "Traffic is moving but we are expecting delays. It was a huge fire and the whole building was involved. Both the floor and the roof collapsed.

"An investigation is underway as to the cause. There is a suggestion that some of the windows were broken.

"The building is too unstable to enter at the moment. The police are having some difficulty tracing key holders."

It is understood that the structure was being fully assessed later today.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...._traffic_chaos

[flange]

£25m transport interchange planned

11:20am Wednesday 6th August 2008

By Nick Lakeman



An artist's impression of the proposed interchange

A £25 million bus and train interchange has been promised for Bolton — if controversial plans for a congestion charge go through.

The glass structure is the jewel in the crown of a package of public transport improvements planned for the borough as part of a £3 billion Government investment across Greater Manchester.

The interchange would be built on land between Great Moor Street, Newport Street, Trinity Street and Blackhorse Street by 2012.

It would see a new bus station built closer to the existing railway station, with a covered walkway linking the two.

Council officials believe it is crucial to the ambitious redevelopment of the town centre, which will also see a £11 million public swimming pool, health centre, magistrates court and cinema built.

But the Government cash for the interchange and all the other public transport improvements will only come if the proposed congestion charge for peak-time travelling in and out of Manchester is accepted by councils and the public.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/...hange_planned/

[andysimo123]

It little stories like this that the papers should be publishing. It doesn't go off one talking about things we're heard over and over again. Its saying you have a choice. Either pick this interchange, with everything else that goes with it and accept the charge or get nothing. I think the papers in Rochdale and Oldham have had similar stories.

[flange]

Bank and Oasis join shopping centre

2:20pm Thursday 7th August 2008

By Nick Yates

FASHION chains Bank and Oasis are the latest companies to sign up to Bolton’s Market Place Shopping Centre.

The centre is due to open next month after a £40 million revamp.

The stores will join H&M, Zara, Jane Norman, Claire’s, Moss Bros, Zumo, Starbucks, The Carphone Warehouse, Principles, Warehouse, Lush and Office as new tenants of the Market Place.

The new retailers join existing stores already open and trading including Debenhams, Next, River Island, Topshop/Topman and JD Sports.

Independent local businesses Westwells Florist, Stokes Opticians, Cappuccinos Res-taurant, C&J Carter Jewellers, Photoworld, Varanni (shoes and bags) and Pink and Millers Bags will join the High Street names, to add a unique feel to the shopping centre.

The Market Place is due to reopen on September 16.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/...opping_centre/